REBECCA BARNARD

Rebecca Barnard (born Rebecca Chirnside Barnard on 26 December 1960) is the daughter of acclaimed Australian jazz drummer Len Barnard AM (once a member of the jazz band, Galapagos Duck). Her uncle is Bob Barnard, who was an accomplished Australian jazz trumpet and cornet stylist. Barnard grew up in the outer-eastern Melbourne suburb of Mooroolbark, and during her childhood listened to Gladys Moncrieff, Fats Waller, Pinetop Smith, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong. At 14, she became acquainted with Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan.

Barnard featured in the following Australian bands The Escalators (1982-1984), Black Coffee (and the Beans) (1985), Wayback 5 (1986), Romance Without Finance, Peaceful Anticipation Social Aid and Pleasure Club (1990), Stephen Cummings Band (1986 and 1990–91), Triple Peaks (1991), and the Rebecca Barnard Band (1992).

When songwriting became a focus, she founded the band Rebecca’s Empire. The band toured extensively, supported Billy Bragg on his Australian tour, released three EPs and two albums 'Way of All Things' in 1996, and 'Welcome' in 1999 and appeared on the Triple J Hottest 100 albums three years in a row. At this height of popularity, Barnard had her own cooking segment on Triple J called Pot of Rock. Barnard has since said of her popularity at this time, that she had "wasted a real good opportunity to do more with the momentum that we had".

Rebecca’s Empire formally disbanded in June 2000 when the duties of being a mother took priority (Barnard gave birth to a son, Harry, in 1996) and due to conflict between herself and Shane O'Mara (guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer of the band, but also Rebecca Barnard's partner at this time). Barnard also appeared on recordings by other Australian artists such as Paul Kelly, Tim Rogers, Renée Geyer, Deborah Conway, The Meanies, Warped, Stephen Cummings, TISM, You Am I, The Black Sorrows and The Audreys. She has recorded four solo albums, namely 'Fortified' (2006) and 'Everlasting' (2010), 'Music For Listening And Relaxation' (2017) and 'The Night We Called It A Day' (2023). Barnard is known for her personal and heartfelt lyrics. 

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